What is all this RuntimeCompatibilityChange stuff in the release notes?

[riverar]

Today's release notes introduced a bunch of RuntimeCompatibilityChange references. What does it mean and why is it there?

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/windows-app-sdk/stable-channel?branch=main#version-171-17250401001

[sylveon]

I believe it's for RuntimeCompatibilityOptions

[zhuxb711]

https://github.com/microsoft/WindowsAppSDK/blob/main/specs/Compatibility/RuntimeCompatibilityOptions.md

[riverar]

Thanks for the links @sylveon @zhuxb711.

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The entire purpose of semver, which Windows App SDK claims to follow, is to ensure developers understand compatibility expectations. Under proper semver, patch releases should never break existing applications (or be quickly withdrawn when they do).

This feature's existence reveals the team has lost confidence in maintaining semver compliance. Why should developers trust Microsoft's versioning promises if they're building escape hatches for themselves? (Has outsourcing more WASDK development potentially contributed to this loss of confidence?)

The SDK's growing complexity creates a testing nightmare - how do you effectively test the combinatorial explosion of feature flags this introduces? This approach introduces a new layer of complexity where developers need to become aware of (somehow without public docs) and manage compatibility options across updates.

No action needed from the team--I will close this issue myself later--but I'm concerned about the implications this has for platform stability and the future direction of Windows App SDK development. This feels like a symptom of deeper organizational issues worth addressing.

[riverar]

Helpful developer pointed me to this Ignite talk that went over some of this too https://youtu.be/ZrJoA7j9CW0?t=1372.